Comfort
by McAbbyAddict
Summary: A scene set after Tony's return from Israel. McGee seeks and gives comfort after the loss of Ziva. Spoilers for season 11, episode 2 'Past Present Future'. One shot, complete. Slight McAbby.


**Author's note: This is just my take on a scene after Tony returns from Israel without Ziva. I have no idea if they covered the team's reaction as the second episode of season 11 has only just aired here. Enjoy. F. **

**Thanks, as always, to Trina109 for beta-ing this for me. **

**Disclaimer: all rights to recognisable characters etc belong to Belisarius Productions. I own nothing NCIS (unless you count 10 seasons of DVDs and Bert the hippo)**

McGee sighed as he shut down his computer for the night and switched off the desk lamp.

It had been an upsetting and somewhat traumatic day.

Tony's return from Israel without Ziva David hadn't been unexpected. After DiNozzo's prolonged absence, McGee had anticipated that he may come home without her. It was entirely possible that she'd gone so far off the grid that she couldn't be found. Or worse, that she was dead.

He hadn't anticipated Tony returning without Ziva because she hadn't wanted to return.

They'd lost part of their team. Part of their family. And in a strange way, he felt slightly betrayed. Intellectually, he understood Ziva's reasons. But when he thought of everything the team had been through, everything that Tony and Gibbs and he had put themselves through to bring her home safely when Mossad had abandoned her in Somalia, he felt anger. And grief.

Family wasn't supposed to leave each other.

Pushing the anger aside, he slowly stood and picked up his pack. There were other members of their team that were hurting tonight, not just him. He didn't know where Tony and Gibbs had gone, although he could hazard a guess that Gibbs was in his basement, sipping bourbon and working on whatever his latest project was. Tony had his own methods of dealing with pain, and quite frankly mcgee had no idea how to help him.

But Abby... He worried about Abby. Although she was basically a friendly person, Abby took a long time to trust or truly accept someone new. Once she had, though, that was it. She was a fiercely loyal friend and expected the same loyalty in return. Ziva's defection had to be hurting her.

Entering the elevator, he pushed the button that would take him to her lab.

...

The lab was quiet.

Abby sat in the darkness, her head in her hands. The only light in the complex came from the monitor on her desk, washing her already pale complexion out even further.

McGee paused in the doorway, watching her. She looked so sad. He knew she'd be taking Ziva's decision hard- they all were, in their own way-and he couldn't help worrying about her. Obviously, he'd been right to worry.

But now that he was here, he felt as if he was intruding. He and Abby hadn't exactly been close lately. They hadn't been close for months. They'd gone from spending at least a few hours a week together outside of work to... nothing. Okay, so he'd been spending some time with Delilah, but the previous easy, occasionally sexually charged friendship he'd shared with Abby had just... disappeared. And he missed it. He missed *her*. He'd admitted to himself long before that he loved the beautiful Goth, even though it appeared daily more unlikely that she felt the same way about him.

And that was why he was down here. Because he loved her. Because she was hurting. He took a deep breath and walked into the lab, stopping at the second doorway. He cleared his throat lightly, letting her know he was there.

"Abby?" he said gently, not quite sure what he was asking.

At the sound of his voice, she raised her head and turned towards him, scrubbing the back of one hand across her eyes. She managed a small smile for him, which he found heartening.

"McGee. What are you doing down here so late?"

"I-I wanted to make sure you were all right. I know Ziva was-is- a friend, and-"

She cut him off.

"I'm fine." She got up and started pacing agitatedly, gesturing as she spoke in a way that said volumes about how she really felt. "Ziva's gotta do what's right for her, you know, and if that means not coming back to NCIS, or to DC, or-or- to us, her *family*, then we've gotta respect that, right? It's not like it was with Kate, Kate didn't have a choice and Ziva does, and she's made her choice. So I'm fine with it. Will be fine with it. Have to be fine with it." Suddenly her face crumpled and she threw herself against his chest. He wrapped his arms around her protectively, holding her close.

"Oh Timmy, I'm going to miss her."

"I know, Abs." He rocked her gently as she sobbed. "I know."

"Why do I lose all my friends, Timmy?" The words were muffled against his chest, and they tore at his heart. He held her tighter, daring to drop a kiss on her hair. "Kate, Marty, Ziva... even you."

"You'll never lose me, Abs" he told her. His voice was low and intense as he let some of the love he felt for her come to the fore, stopping short of an outright declaration.

But Abby was adept at reading between the lines. She stepped back a little as he loosened his embrace, searching his face intently as he gave her what he hoped was a reassuring smile. There was something in her eyes that he couldn't identify, something he'd never seen there before. She put her head back down on his chest and he pulled her close again, knowing that something in their relationship had changed subtly. He didn't know what it was changing to, and right now it was immaterial.

They'd lost a friend.


End file.
